Sound record and sound recording and reproducing means



Aug. 4, 1936. c. w. NYSTRCM 2,049,821

SOUND RECQRD AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING MEANS Filed Marh 16,1952 4 SEeets-Sheet 1 l' I: -21. Z5

46 f 4M fmmp,

Aug. 4, 1936. c. w NYSTROM 2,049,821

SOUND RECORD AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING MEANS Filed March 16,1932 w 4 Shets-Sheet 2 Aug. 4, 1936. c. w.-NYsTR6M 2,049,821

SOUND RECORD AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING MEANS Filed March 16,1952' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 [NVEN T08 Pus ies Au 4, less "um-ran; STATESPATENT I owes SOUND :asconn AND sounn RECORDING AND BEPBODUCING MEANSCarl Wilhelm Nystriim, mums, Sweden Application March 16', 1932, SerialNo. 599,30"! 1 In Sweden April 2, 1931 i Claims. (01. 274-4)) Thisinvention relates to sound records and sound recording and reproducingmeans. In ap-v more when the cutter or stylus moves from the, outerparts of the disk tothe centre. As a result" 15 the recording of acertain sound at the 'peripli- 1 eralparts of the disk requires anessentially larger length of the recordthan if the same sound wasrecorded at the innerparts of the disk. It will be obvious that thismeans an ingo eifective utilization of the record disk, especially ofits peripheral parts. A principal object of'the inventionis to enable abetter utilization of the surface of the disk by said disk in such amanner that the 25 point or points engaging the recording toolhereinaftr called the cutter,. or'the reproducing member, hereinaftercalled the stylus, is. or are imparted a substantially" constanttangential velocity, so that the recording of a certain sound so alwaysoccupies an equal length of the record at any distance from the centreof the disk. In

this way arecord disk of the usualsize can receive about 200% more soundwave records than hitherto, so that the material of the disk is util-'35 ized more efliciently. Owing to the fact that the tangentialvelocity 'of the points engaging the cutter or the stylus or equivalenttools may be",

, v kept at a constant and comparatively low value the wear of the diskand the tool is reduced, and 40 the friction between the disk and thetool does not cause such inconvenient noise as, in the known kindofrecord disks, the outer points of which rotate at comparatively-highvelocities.

A further-object of the invention is to enable.

.45 the employmentof the known kind of records in a reproducingapparatus according to the inv vention.

The invention alsoprovides means for positively moving the cutter or thestylus in a de- I 50 termined relation to the driving gear of the dis av v I I I oreover the invention has for its object to providemeans forautomatically disengagingthe driving gear when the cutter or stylusreaches 65 the utmost peripheral parts of thedisk.

bearing 28, preferably Further objects and advantages of theinven tionwill be described with reference to the. ac= companying drawings, whichillustratethe invention in some preferred embodiments, and in whichFigure ,1 represents a side view of an apparatus embodying my invention,

Figure 2 a plan view thereof with certain parts I omitted, v Figure 3 avertical section through a driving 10 disk and 1 1 Figure 4 a plan viewthereof, .Figures 5 and 6 detail views,

Figure 7 anend elevation, and

Figure 8 a plan of the driving gear, l5

Figures 9 and 10 part sectional side and plan views'similar to Figures 1and 2 respectively of a modified construction,

Figure 11 a further ,modi fled embodiment, Figure 12 a part of theapparatus shown in Figures 9 and. 10 dra to a larger scale, and

Figure 13 a carrier for the reproducing and recording tools; I

Referring to Figures land 2, I5 is a support comprising a base plate Itand two stationary bearings l1, l8 and carrying a frame construction forthe driving mechanism. The frame comprises three substantially parallelshafts 20, 2|, 22 of'which the, two outer shafts 20, 22 are fixed attheir ends to two arms 23, 24, so that the whole construction forms aparallelogram 25, mounted to turn on the shaft 22, which is Journalledin the stationary bearings l1, I of the plate It. The shaft 2|, which isprovided with a slot I4 is rotatably mounted in the arms 8 23, 24 andcarries a'friction wheel 21, rigidly attached to a slidable sleeve 26and having a pin or roller (not shown) fitting into the slot l4.

Associated with the wheel 21 (Figure '1) is a a ball-bearing slidably 4mounted onthe shaft 2| and surrounded by a clamping ring 29 which isclamped to the roller- .bearing 28 by means of a screw 30. The clampingring 29 carries at its upper end a U-shaped, bar 3| (Figures -'1 and 8)having angular ends, each provided with a guide roller l2 andrespectively adapted to run on shafts," and 22 of said parallelogram, sothat the bar 3| is maintained in a substantially horizontal posi- 5'0tion in relation to the parallelogram 25. shown on the drawings theroller 33 may also be provided with flanges 34 bearing .on the shaft 20in order to guide the bar II transversely.

Pivotally attached to the bar. ii at 36 is a yoke 35, the opposite endofwhich carries an angular piece 31 having at its lower horizontal end 38an adjustment screw bearing on the lower surface of the bar 3|. The yoke35 is caused to occupy a substantially fixed position in relation to thebar 3| by means of a spring 40 attached at .one end to the bar 3| and atits other end fixed to the horizontal part 38 of the angular piece 31.The elevational position of the yoke 35 in relation to the bar 3| andthe parallelogram maybe controlled by the adjustment screw 3!. The yokecarries at its upper side a rotatable roller 45, provided withperipheral annular cams, grooves or the like (Figures 2 and 8). It willbe understood that the means de-, scribed compels the friction wheel 21together with the bar 3|, yoke 35 and sleeve 25 toslide on the shaft 2|.

Rotation is imparted to the shaft 2| from a spring motor, an electricmotor or other suitable power unit, by the interposition of a. gear 50,which may consist of a toothed wheel rigidly mounted on the shaft 2|.The toothed wheel 50 may be omitted, in ;which event the shaft 2| isdirectly connected to the power unit. By means of the engagement of theslot l4 with the pin or roller projecting therein from the frictionwheel 21 the rotation of the shaft 2| causes the wheel 21 to be rotatedwhilst permitting the said wheel ,at the same time, to slide along theshaft 2| for the purpose described below.

' Fixed to the plate It is a bracket 4| carrying a disk I! which isrotatably Journalled in a bearing 42 of the bracket 4| by means of anaxle Above the bearing 42- of the bracket 4| the axle 43 of therotatable disk I! extends upwardly and this extension carries a plate"rotating together with the disk l3. The plate It is adapted to supportthe disk or surface (not shown) adapted to receive or reproduce soundrecords, the latter disk usually simply being called the record or "therecord disk."

As stated hereinbefore the parallelogram 25 is mounted to swing aboutthe shaft 2| in the bearings l1, l8. By the aid of eccentric means,preferably comprising arod 43 and two eccentric sheaves" and 48supported by arms 50, the parallelogram 25 may be lifted or raised tocause the friction wheel 21 to enga e the disk I! and rotate it. e

To permit a yielding engagement of the wheel 21 with the disk I! springmeans 45 (Figure l) are provided attached to the arms 23, 24 and bearingon the eccentric sheaves 41, 48 respectively.

The wheel 21 is adapted to be displaced in asubstantially radialdirection on the disk I. si

'multaneously with its being rotated. For this purpose one surface ofthe disk II (in the embodiment illustrated the lower surface) is pro- 1vided with a spiral groove 44 (shown in Figure 4 as a series ofconcentric circles for convenience in drawing) the pitch ofwhich maycorrespond to'the pitch of the sound wave record on the record disk,which usually has eighty spiral turns or more to the inch. The spiralgroove 44 in which the several turns of the spiral are spaced preferablyat equal distances from each other, is adapted to effect the radialdisplacement of the wheel 21, preferably by means of an intercoupledmember engaging the groove 44 and associated with the wheel 21. Theradial displacement of the wheel 21 will always be con stant, if thespiral 44 has equally spaced turns.

' In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-8 Preferably the peripheralsurfaces of the cams or grooves are of V-shaped cross section tofacilitate engagement. Instead of the roller 45 there may be providedneedles, pins or plane cams but such devices will cause a certain noiseowing to the sliding friction against the disk. The roller 45.ismounted-so as to make contact with the disk l9 prior to the engagementbetween the wheel 21 and the disk I! upon lifting the parallelogram. Bysetting the adjustment screw 39 and the spring 40 a very exactadjustment of the position of the roller 45 in relation to the frictionwheel 21 and the spiralgroove disk l9 respectively may be established sothat the roller 45 will engage the disk i9 at the desired moment.

The sound wave records may be made on the record disk by asuitablerecording member such as a cutting tool or a cutter (not shownin Figures1-8) actuating the surface of the record disk. In using-theapparatusfor reproducing the sound records from the disk whom aduplicate copy thereof the cutter is replaced by a reproducingtool suchas a stylus. g

In the starting position of the parts the friction wheel 21 and theroller 45 may be placedat the inner turns of the spiral 44 on the groovedisk I9, but it will be obvious that the starting position also may bearranged at the'outer turns in which event the wheel 21 is displaced tothe centre of the disk i9.

In the event that the starting position of the friction wheel Hand ofthe roller 45 is arranged at the inner turns of the spiral 44 it ispreferred to provide means to automatically indicate the proper.starting position. For this purpose the sleeve is provided with anannularshallow groove 5|: with whicha pivotable lever 52 (Figures 1, 2,5,6) will engage when the groove 5| is in alignment with the said lever.This position corresponds to thestarting position. The lever 52 ispivoted upon a. collar 53 mounted to swing about the shaft 20, Pine 54,55 are adapted to starting position the lever 52.1s caused to be.

lifted by the conical surface and enters the shallow groove 5| so thatfurther inward 'displacement of the sleeve will be checked thusindicating that the starting position is reached. Since the groove 5|has a shallow shape the lever 52 can easily slide out'of engagement withthe groove. at the-beginning of the outwardly radial displacement of thesleeve of roller 45 and the spiral groove 44.

28 by means go The operation of the apparatus will be understood withreference to the drawings. If a constant-velocity of' rotation isimparted to the friction-wheel 21 the groove disk-I9 engaging with thiswheel by friction will obtain a'speed of rotation corresponding to. theconstant peripheral velocity of the wheel 21. Atthe same time the wheel21 is displaced in radial direction in relation tothe disk It, by meansof the 7 roller 45 engaging and rolling in' the spiral groove44."Ob'vious1y this displacement may be effected either from the innerparts of the disk i9 towards its periphery, or from the peripheral partsof the disk towards its centre.v In this '75 of the wheel 21 on thedriving disk 19 so that in the event that the displacement is eflectedfrom the inner 'parts to the peripheryof the disk the speed of rotationof the record disk decreases as the wheel 21 moves towards theperipheral parts. It will be clear that the tangential or linearvelocity of the points of the disk, 19 engaging the friction wheel 21 atevery'instant will be maintained at a constant value.

Provided that the radial displacement of the cutter or stylus isperformed at the same speed as the displacement of the'wheel 21, thelinear or tangential velocity of the point or points of the record diskengaging the cutter or'stylus will alsobe constant so .that a certainsound recorded the radial displacement of thewheel 21 ceases. .To thisend the sleeve 26 is provided with a second groove 51, with which thelever. 52 engages to lock the sleeve in its position when the sleeve ismoved inwardly to'a sufllcient degree.

To limit the inward displacement of the sleeve the forward surface ofthe groove 51 is provided with a shoulder or wall 58. In this positionof the sleeve 28 the roller eventually may fallinto a cavity 59 (Figure3) of the disk it inside the turns of the spiral 44 which now is. not

aifected by the roller.

The friction wheel 21 and if desired also. the

disk i9 may be coated with a suitable friction material such ascaoutchouc, leather'or the like.

Also the engaging parts may be provided with rough surfaces.

' It will be understood that the spiral groove with oil to reduce thefriction.

Figures 9, 10, 1'1, and 12 illustrate modified constructions of theinvention. As shown in Figures 9 and 10 the friction wheel 21 isprovided with peripheral annular concentric grooves, cams 52.0r the likewhich replace the cams of the roller 5 described with reference toFigures 1-8; In this embodiment the roller 45 is omitted and thefriction wheel 21 is adapted not only to, drive the disk 19, by

friction but alsoto engage the spiral groove '44 1-8 the points of thedisk 19 engaging the wheel 21- will be rotated at a constant linearvelocity if the wheel 21 rotates with constant velocity of rotation. Thesleeve 26 is arranged in the same manner and has the same object asdescribed above in connection with the const i;

tion shown in Figures 1-8.

The combined friction and feeding wheel 21 is attached to anon-rotatable journal casing 63, which is displaced in the radialdirection by the 'otheror freeend has a. handle 19 which. projectswheel. One end of the'casing' 63 is provided with a U-shaped member 54(Figure 9) carrying two guide rollers 85 and 65 adapted to roll onopposite sides of the shaft 20 of the parallelogram 25 so that themovement of the wheel 21 is 5 uided. 1

In' the embodiment shown 'in-Flgures l-8 the a wheel 21 is lifted up tothe disk 19 by means of .an eccentric device which is hand operated.Figures 9 and 10 illustrate an automatic device for the same purposeadapted to disengage the wheel 21 and the grooved disk 19 at a desireddistance from the centre of the disk. Such automatic device enables thedisengagement to be effected just at the desired distance which isimportant if record disks of different sizes are used.

The disengaging means comprises a yoke 81 and adapted to engage -a bellcrank lever 11 20 (Figure 12) pivoted at 12. The rod 68 is connected toan eccentric device. similar to that shown in Figures 1 and '2 andco-operating with the arms 23, 24 or another partof the parallelo-- gram25' through the intermediary of spring 25 means Ill, thus controllingthe position of the parallelogram; With the wheel 21 in engagement withthe disk 19 the parallelogram is maintained in its upper position bysaid eccentric device and in this position of the parts aroller 30 13attached .to the lower end of the bell crank .lever 1| (Figure 12) isjust below the yoke 61.

Also the upper end of the lever H is terminated by a roller 1| on thelower side of the shaft 20. The pivot 12 of the bell crank lever 85 1lismounted in a frame 15 slidably mounted on twobars 16, 11. The frame 15is moved on the bars by means of a yielding plate 18, one end .of whichis attached to the frame 15- whilst-the 40 through a slotted guide plate80. The guide plate is provided with several vertical slots 8|, 5|",8",- 8i ,'in which the handle 18 fits and is maintained therein by theyielding action of the plate 18,- thus enabling the frame 15 to be setin different determined positions.

When it is. desired to make a sound wave record in a record disk carriedby the plate 51 or when it is desired to.reproduc'e the records thefriction wheel 21 is placed, say in its inner 50 position and during therotation it is displaced successively to the peripheral parts'of thedisk 19. The rollers 55, 65- are then running on their axle 20. After apredetermined time the wheel 21 has been displaced so far thatthe-roller 65' 55 engages the roller- 14 of the bell crank lever ll(Figure 12) so that the lever 11 is caused to rotate about its pivot-12in a clockwise direction. The lower roller 13 is now lifted and causesthe 'axle 5| and the eccentric gear to be turned so so that the wholeparallelogram is lowered under the influence of its ownweight. As aresult of this movement the wheel 21 is disen aged from the disk I! andthe rotation of the latter will then cease. By suitably setting theframe 15 65 carrying the bell crank lever 11' the described disengaginggear may be released just at the moment when the wheel 21 reaches theperiphery of the record used. If it is desired to use a rec- 0rd ofgreater or smaller size, the frame 15 may be set in another position bymeans of the guide plate 80.

In apparatuses of the kind described it is very important that thecutter or equivalent member for recording sound waves and the stylus orstylus) equivalent member for reproducing such records are alwaysexactly in the same position in relation to the wheel 21 since if thecontrary be the case there would not be exact correspondence withrespect to the speed of the engaging point of the record disk duringrecording and reproducing respectively. To overcome this difficulty ableon a horizontal axle in a bifurcated lever 85. The lever 85 is fixed toa bracket 88, which is pivotable about two pivots 81, 88. The bracket 86is fixed to a support 88 adapted to support the carrier 88 of the box 8|of the cutter (or the By suitable adjustment of the transmissiondescribed the cutter and the stylus may be caused to take up exactly thesame position in relation to the wheel 21, and this relative position ismaintained during the displacement of the wheel 21 owing to the positivemovement between the said parts. of course, the stylus or cutter willmove on a circular line, whereas the wheel 21 moves on a straight linebut the slight irregularity of the relative positions caused by thesefacts has no practical importance.

Figure ll illustrates a further embodiment of the invention. As shownthe parallelogram 25 in this case only comprises two shafts82, 88, the

' plate 6| itself which meansa simplification of the construction. Theplate 8| is carried by a bracket 68 supporting the plate by means of aroller bearing 88. v

The positive movement between the stylus (or the cutter) and the wheel21 is adapted to be eflected as a parallel straight line movement solthat the slight irregularity caused by the circular movement of thestylus -(or cutter) is avoided. Tothis purpose a lever 88, connected tothe hub of the friction wheel 21 in adapted to follow the radialdisplacement of the wheel.

-The lever 88 guided by means of rollers 88, I88

' on the bar 88 is angularly bent at IM to form a bracket I82 for thecarrier I88 of the sound box 81 of the stylus. By means of thisarrangement the stylus will be imparted a positive movement which isexactly parallel to' the radial displacement of the wheel 21.

Figure 13 illustrates a carrier for the box of the cutter and of thestylus. This carrier may be employed if the apparatus is to be used bothas recording and reproducing apparatus. --'I'he hollow carrying memberofthe cutter boxis indicated by I88 and is provided with screws I88, I88in a fork I81 for the cutter box (not shown) so that the latter may beswung uphollow member I 84.

Since the member I84 and the box 81 are moving during thereproductionfthe member tem in resilient contact with said recorddriving disc is connected to a horn or the like by means of a flexibletube II8, preferably consisting of caoutchouc or resilient ring members.

It will be obvious that the groove disk I8 may be provided with a groovehaving a larger 5 pitch thanthat of' the record disk. In such event avelocity gear is required for the feeding mechanism.

The cutting tool or the cutter may be actuated as by a diaphragm subjectto the action of sound waves or actuated .electromagnetically byelectric impulses set up by the action of sound waves, as in amicrophone. Also any other equivalent recording member may be used.

It will also be obvious that the stylus may be 15 substituted by anequivalent member serving the same purpose.

The record disk may be formed of any suitable material capable of beingcut by a record cutter.

It will also be noted that as stated hereinbe- 20 fore the frictionwheel 21 may be displaced from the outer parts of the disk I8 totheconstruction may bemade without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Having now describedmy invention, what I claim as new and desire to-secure by Letters 30v Patent is:-- r H -1. 'In a sound vibrationtransmitting apparatus,'a rotatable record driving disc having a f-spiral groove therein, a driving system comprising a rotatable bodyadapted to engage a sur- 36 face of the driving disc and having a ribbedguiding surface to engage said spiral groove, and means whereby saiddriving system is mounted for relative displacement with respect to saidrotatable record driving disc comprising 40 a frame-like structure'zhaving a pair of arms each arranged-at opposite sides of the framelikestructure, a driven shaft rotatably mounted on said armsand adapted toreceive said driving system for radial displacement as said shaftrotates, a second shaft journalled on said frame and on which saiddriving system is pivotally. supported, and. means carried bysaid framelike structure for maintaining said driving sys- 2. In a sound vibrationtransmitting apparatus, a rotatable record driving disc having a. spiralgroove therein, a driving system comprising a rotatableroller adapted toengage a surface of the record driving disc and a guide component havinga ribbed surface to engage said spiral'groove, and means wherebysaiddriving system is mounted for relative displacement with respect tosaid rotatable record driving disc comprising a frame-like structurehaving a pair of arms each arranged at opposite sides of the frame-likestructure, a driven shaft rotatably mounted on said arms and adapted toreceive-said driving system for radial displacement as said shaftrotates, two outer shafts arranged parallel to said driven shaft andfixed at the ends of said arms for supporting said driving system, oneof said shafts journalled in bearings provided on the frame-likestructure, a bearing member fixedly associated with said rotatableroller and carrying a- U-shaped bar, a guide roller at each end of saidi i-shaped bar adapted to engage said outer shafts, a yoke memberpivoted to said bar and carrying said guiding spiral groove therein, adriving system for saidrecord driving disc comprising a rotatable rollerhaving a ribbed surface to engage said spiral groove, and means wherebysaid driving system is mounted for relative displacement with respect tosaid rotatable record driving disc comprising a frame-like structurehaving a pair of arms each arranged at opposite sides of the frame-likestructure, a driven shaft rotatably mounted on said arms and adapted toreceive said driving system for radial displacement as said shaftrotates, two outer shafts arranged parallel to said driven shaft,andfixed at the ends of said arms for supporting said driving system, oneof said shafts journalled in bearings provided on the frame-likestructure, abearing member fixedly associated with-said driving Y temand carrying at one end, oppositely arranged 'guide rollers adapted toengage the other of said outer shafts, and means carried by saidframe-like structure for maintaining said driv-. ing system in resilientcontact withsaid record driving disc.

g 4. A sound vibration transmittingapparatus ,as described in claim 2 inwhich said means for maintaining said driving system inresilient contactwith said record driving disc comprises, a device carried by the framehaving eccentric portions to displace said driving system in a directionperpendicular to said record driving disc, and a resilient connectionattached to said arms and bearing on said'eccentric portions.

- I CARL wrmmnu Mrs-mom. m

